Treacle Tart
Crisp shortcrust filled with golden syrup, breadcrumbs and lemon: sticky, sharp and very British.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
Despite the name, a classic treacle tart is made with golden syrup, not black treacle. The syrup is thickened with fresh white breadcrumbs and sharpened with lemon, so it sets to a soft, chewy filling rather than running out of the case.
Golden syrup was first sold in the 1880s, and the tart soon became a school-dinner and Sunday-pudding favourite.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 175gplain flour
- 100gcold unsalted butter, cubed
- 25gicing sugar
- 1egg yolk
- 1tbspcold water, plus a little more if needed
Filling
- 400ggolden syrup
- 120gfresh white breadcrumbs, from about 4 slices of day-old bread
- 1lemon, finely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice
- 1egg, beaten
- ½tspground ginger, optional
Equipment
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- 23 cm loose-based tart tinHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Rolling pinHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Small saucepanHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Digital kitchen scalesHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and water and bring together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- 2
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Roll the pastry out and line a 23 cm loose-based tart tin. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 minutes more until dry. Lower the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4.
- 3
Warm the golden syrup in a saucepan over a low heat until runny, but not hot. Take off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, ginger and beaten egg.
Photo: Londonsista · CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) - 4
Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and just set with a slight wobble in the middle. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Photo: Peter Smith · CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
Tips
Serve warm with custard, clotted cream or vanilla ice cream. It also keeps well for 2–3 days in a tin.
Weigh the syrup straight into the pan on digital scales: it is far less messy than spoons. A lightly oiled spoon helps scrape out the last of it.
The pastry is the same as for our Bakewell tart.
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If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Filling runny after cooling | Not enough breadcrumbs or underbaked | Use the full weight of crumbs and bake until only the centre wobbles |
| Filling hard and chewy | Overbaked, or syrup boiled | Only warm the syrup; take the tart out while the centre still wobbles |
| Soggy base | Case not baked blind long enough | Bake until the base looks dry and sandy before filling |
Guides for this recipe
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How to Choose Sandwich Tins for Victoria Sponge
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Essential Equipment for British Baking
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Springform and Deep Cake Tins: A Guide
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Kitchen Scales for Baking: What to Look For
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Rolling Pins: Which Type Is Best for Pastry?
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Copper Pans in the Kitchen: Cooking, Display and Care
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